Anna Maria College pulls Victoria Kennedy graduation invite

By Bronislaus B. Kush and Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Friday

Mar 30, 2012 at 11:00 AMMar 30, 2012 at 9:16 PM

Anna Maria College has withdrawn its invitation to Victoria Reggie Kennedy to speak at its commencement this spring after Bishop Robert J. McManus raised concerns with the school about the positions taken by the widow of former U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., on abortion, gay marriage, contraception, and other social issues of interest to the Roman Catholic Church.

College officials, in a statement released this morning, said, that, as a small Catholic college, Anna Maria “relies heavily on the good will of its relationship with the bishop and the larger Catholic community.”

They said that, given the bishop's objection to the choice of Mrs. Kennedy as speaker, the commencement would “create negative publicity and a difficult situation for both Mrs. Kennedy and AMC.”

On the Anna Maria College campus today, students were hardly reacting to the news.Many said they were unaware who had been selected to speak, never mind that she’d now been disinvited at the urging of Bishop Robert J. McManus.The college informed students via email of the decision, but most said they either hadn’t seen the message or had no opinion on the decision, though a few underclassmen said they’d heard rumblings from some of the seniors.

Chicagoan Rahul Patel, a senior, said he was less concerned about who was speaking and more troubled that the college had gone back in its word.

“My only concern is, if we made a commitment, we should stick with it,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been taught here at Anna Maria.”

College officials explained that, if the bishop's concerns become a public debate, Mrs. Kennedy's commencement appearance and the recognition of her accomplishments “could be reduced to a focus other than the primary importance of the commencement, a celebration for Anna Maria College graduates.”

School officials, who did not return telephone calls seeking comment, did not cite any particular concerns of the bishop.

However, Raymond L. Delisle, a chancery spokesman, said Bishop McManus was concerned about positions that Mrs. Kennedy has taken on issues such as abortion, contraception, and gay marriage that are contrary to church dogma and teachings.

Had the school not withdrawn the invitation, the bishop would not have attended Anna Maria's commencement, chancery officials said.

In a statement, Mrs. Kennedy said that she regretted the position in which college officials had been placed.

“I have great respect and admiration for Anna Maria College and the class of 2012 and would not want my presence to hurt the school or detract from the graduates' special day in any way,” she said.

However, Mrs. Kennedy said she was “disheartened by this entire turn of events.”

She said that she is a lifelong Catholic and that her faith is important to her.

“I have not met Bishop McManus, nor has he been willing to meet with me to discuss his objections,” said Mrs. Kennedy, noting that she is not a public official or candidate for public office. “He has not consulted with my pastor to learn more about me or my faith. Yet by objecting to my appearance at Anna Maria College, he has made a judgment about my worthiness as a Catholic. This is a sad day for me and an even sadder one for the church.”

In announcing their decision, college officials, however, said that they believe it's still appropriate to recognize Mrs. Kennedy for her work on many issues, particularly gun control and matters that impact the safety of children.

School officials said they informed Mrs. Kennedy of their decision in person and in writing.The decision itself was made by the Executive Committee of the board of trustees.

College officials said they apologized to Mrs. Kennedy “for this situation and expressed appreciation for her understanding of its position.”

“While the board believes that this is the necessary decision, it will continue to advocate for increased opportunities to practice its Catholic values of hospitality, compassion, reconciliation, respect for all people and understanding,” said the statement.

Anna Maria announced in February that Mrs. Kennedy, a lawyer specializing in banking and an advocate for family issues, would be its commencement speaker.

She was scheduled to be awarded an honorary degree of public administration.Mr. Delisle said the bishop has never been involved in the process of choosing commencement speakers at the area's three Catholic colleges.

But Mr. Delisle said Bishop McManus believes strongly in the decision made in 2004 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops not to honor Catholics who take positions that are contradictory to the church's teachings or dogma.

Mr. Delisle said that online reports that Bishop McManus had approved Mrs. Kennedy's selection as commencement speaker and then had changed his mind were not true.

“That's baloney,” Mr. Delisle said, also denying reports that the bishop had been influenced by wealthy conservative Catholics who were upset about the choice of Mrs. Kennedy as speaker.

Steven D. Krueger, the national director of Catholic Democrats, an organization at which Mrs. Kennedy serves as a board member, said Bishop McManus' action is another example of how some in the church hierarchy try to politicize the faith, and, in the end, cause rancor among Catholics.

“The bishop has smeared all the good work that she (Mrs. Kennedy) has done, and, by raising all these unsubstantiated concerns, he has impugned her good name,” Mr. Krueger said. “This is the way many bishops squander their influence and authority among the faithful.”

Mr. Krueger, noting that it was curious that college officials withdrew their invitation 12 months after making it, said that Bishop McManus should have spoken to Mrs. Kennedy.

“He would have come to know that she is a good Catholic who cares about her church,” he said.

Those rallying around Mrs. Kennedy said many conservative church leaders began targeting elected and non-elected officials who disagreed with their views about the time of U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry's 2004 presidential bid.

During that campaign, at least 15 prelates said they would not offer Mr. Kerry the Eucharist during Mass because of his pro-choice views.

In 2009, about a quarter of the nation's bishops tried unsuccessfully to block an address by President Barack Obama at the University of Notre Dame.

This is not the first time that Bishop McManus has registered concerns about the actions of a local Catholic college.

In 2007, he rebuked officials at the College of the Holy Cross for renting space at a conference that included workshops presented by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice, two organizations at odds with the church on the issues of abortion and contraception.

The college president at the time, Michael C. McFarland, said that Holy Cross, a Jesuit institution, was not affiliated with the gathering and added that it would fulfill its contractual obligations.

He said the college “fully affirms and promotes” Catholic teaching on abortion and “the sanctity of all human life” but added that the meeting, which was organized by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy, would help professionals address health matters affecting at-risk youth.

Bishop Daniel Reilly, Bishop McManus' predecessor, also found himself at odds with Holy Cross, choosing not to attend a school commencement because Chris Matthews, a 1967 graduate of the school and a political commentator and talk show host on the liberal leaning MSNBC-TV, was being awarded an honorary degree.

Mrs. Kennedy, the founder of Common Sense about Kids and Guns, a nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce gun deaths and violence among kids, is a much sought-after speaker and has been honored at other commencements.

Last year, for example, she received an honorary degree of laws at Boston University's graduation exercises.

Emmanuel College, a small liberal arts school in Boston's Fenway neighborhood, also awarded Mrs. Kennedy an honorary degree in 2010.

In her statement, Mrs. Kennedy thanked college President Jack Calareso and Anna Maria “for the courtesy and sensitivity” in which they handled the matter.

“I congratulate the class of 2012 on their accomplishments and with them Godspeed as they embark on the next phase of life's journey,” she said.

Anna Maria's graduation will be held May 19 at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts. It's unclear who will replace Mrs. Kennedy at the ceremonies.

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